Record leg lengthening surgery in Vietnam

Being a man but only 1m60 tall, Nguyen Van Nam (23 years old, living in Hanoi) always felt very self-conscious and inferior. In 2016, Nam went to study abroad in Japan. Realizing that many of his peers were much taller than him, the male student became increasingly obsessed with his figure.

After that, Nam began to learn about leg lengthening surgery. In September 2017, the young man went to the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, 108 Military Central Hospital, Hanoi, to express his wishes after receiving approval from his family.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Doan, Director of the Institute of Orthopedics and Trauma, 108 Central Military Hospital, shared that after being consulted by a doctor, Nam decided to postpone his studies for a year to undergo leg lengthening surgery.

After a week of performing paraclinical and in-depth tests to rule out bone diseases and other systemic diseases that contraindicate limb lengthening, Nam was taken to the operating table to begin his leg lengthening journey.

After surgery to cut the bone, insert a nail through the bone head and install an external frame for stretching, Nam's height was slowly lengthened at a rate of 1 mm/day.

“After 70 days, Nam grew 7 cm. We still advise patients to stop at this number to minimize complications. However, when reaching this height, the patient was still determined to continue. When the test was qualified, Nam continued for 100 days before stopping with a height increase of 10 cm,” Associate Professor Doan shared.

In February, Nam had his frame and pins removed and was able to walk normally with the help of crutches. The student returned to Japan to continue his studies after only 7 months.

"This is the case of the person who improved the most in height (10 cm). He was also one of the most determined people who practiced hard, so after removing the frame and screwing the pin, he was able to walk again," Associate Professor Doan added.

This is the longest leg lengthening case at the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, 108 Central Military Hospital. Meanwhile, this unit is the place that performs the highest number of leg lengthening surgeries in the country.

“In theory, the leg can be lengthened as much as the patient wants, depending on the patient’s needs. However, depending on the specific case, we will advise them to have a reasonable length that is proportional to the body. In addition, this also helps to minimize complications,” Associate Professor Doan said.

Leg lengthening surgery is the only way to improve height for people who have reached the age of growth. Regarding the procedure, the expert said that people who want to improve their height must go through arduous steps and require perseverance and high determination.

The entire process for a person to have the desired height lasts from 6 months to a year and costs about 60-70 million VND, including the cost of surgery, leg lengthening tools and medicine.

In particular, this method does not affect the life expectancy of the person performing it as many people mistakenly believe. However, after prolonged use, the soft tissues (tendons, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments) have not yet responded to the new situation. Therefore, the patient needs to practice rehabilitation. When the musculoskeletal system is stable and well-trained, the patient can walk normally.